Leave It All Behind
by RequX
Summary: When the ones you love are no longer around, how does one cope? Some fall into darkness refusing to accept that fact. Others choose to run away letting the winds carry them wherever their destination may be. Maybe these two lost souls can fix each other before it's too late. (AU Gency fic with some character death so be warned.)
1. 01 - So We Met At This Club

The night was quiet and cold. At three in the morning this was to be expected. Only people who'd be out at this time were the partygoers and drug dealers. If it wasn't because of a certain relative of his, young master Hanzo Shimada would not be out with said people. It wasn't his scene and he would much rather be at home sleeping than out here picking up a very irresponsible younger brother of his. All it took was one phone call and his night was completely ruined. It was bad enough Hanzo came home late from a very tiring and long day, but now he was losing sleep all because of one little phone call from a drunk Genji. While Hanzo was generally a strict person, he admittedly had a soft spot for his brother. Still, they were both grown men. Genji especially needed to start taking responsibility and stop relying on him all the time whenever he decided to get wasted with his friends.

"Friends." Hanzo used that word very lightly when dealing with people. Unlike Genji, Hanzo trusted no one and didn't have time for social engagements. When you carry a name as big as Shimada it was only part of the package to be wary of outsiders.

As his chauffeur drove through the streets, Hanzo noticed the name of the bar just a few blocks down. He told his driver to pull over and the man slowed to double park. Hanzo looked through his tinted windows. There he was leaning against the wall outside the bar. The younger brother of the Shimada clan plastered and barely able to stand on his own. Hanzo unlocked his door and went out to grab his brother before he collapsed.

"Yo!" Genji waved (if you can even call it a wave) upon seeing his brother. "I am sooooo glad you made it." Hanzo sighed hearing the slur in Genji's voice. The strong smell of alcohol did nothing to ease his feelings either.

"Let's get you home." He wanted to yell at him and tell him all the obvious things one would say in this situation, but he knew better than to waste his breath on a drunken fool. "I can't believe I'm losing sleep over this." His chauffeur came out and helped Hanzo lead Genji into the car before they went back inside.

"You know Hanzo, you should take a night off to have drinks with me."

"Unlike you I have other things that demand my attention." He told his chauffeur to start the car and they drove off.

"Oh oooohh, 'other things'~" A chuckle escaped Genji's lips after his failed attempt at mimicking Hanzo.

"Please stop that…."

* * *

The ride home wasn't long. What made the night longer than it should have been was getting Genji to his room. He kept stumbling and then threw up in their garden at one point. Hanzo felt sorry for the maid who was stuck cleaning that up. The servants offered to help Hanzo but he declined their offer. He rather not have the servants gossiping about any random mumbling his younger brother might say in his current state. When they made it to his room Hanzo set Genji on his futon and stood there for a moment watching his younger brother shuffle a bit before finally laying still.

Their father passed away recently. A few weeks ago even. And ever since then Genji had been disappearing for hours on end spending his time at the arcades and bars. Few times he'd pick up a woman and crash at her place for a night before continuing his chaotic schedule all over again. He's always been a party lover and a big playboy but since the passing of their father, his habits have been too was a perfect example of that. Hanzo lectured him about his recent behavior few times but Genji wouldn't listen. Or rather, he refused to listen. Out of the two brothers, Genji was always coddled by their father. Hanzo wasn't jealous of it or anything. Thinking on it now, Genji was too...different. He never cared much about the family name and as far as their…"business" goes, Genji wasn't interested in that either. He never wanted to partake in important meetings and never bothered to take things seriously. He was outgoing, caring and...perhaps too good for what their family really stood for. Hanzo on the other hand was more serious and being the eldest, it was expected of him to be at his best no matter what. Growing up wasn't easy for him but he accepted his family name and did what he could to honor it. And now that their father was gone, it was even more important now than ever that Hanzo continue to carry what his father left behind. That being said, he just could not turn a blind eye to Genji's chaotic lifestyle. He had to grow up and face the world just as Hanzo did and help him take the reigns of their vast empire.

But...for now, he'll let Genji sleep it off. Hanzo needed to get back to bed as well. Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

* * *

Holy crap why is this sun so freakin' bright? The sun's rays were not kind. Who the hell opened up the curtains? Did someone open the curtains? Wait a minute…. Genji slowly opened his eyes and took the pillow off his head. Took him a moment to register where he was but he realized he was in his room.

"...Home?" He tried to remember how he got here. Let's see… He was with his friends, fight game shenanigans, a bar….oh yeah there was a bar wasn't there. Lot's of sake and women, and karaoke, and sake, and more singing, and more sake….. Oh yeah! Hanzo was there too…...Aw crap, Hanzo. He finally recalled what he did. He didn't want to call up Hanzo but he did. Another drunken mistake added to the list. He may be his older brother but he didn't feel like hearing him bitch and moan about "honor" and "duty" to his family. He had no interest in the family's dealings with Yakuza and other shady things so why should he have to care about it now? Just because their father died didn't mean he was obligated to take over this empire of bloodshed.

' _Ugh...I need a shower…'_

* * *

After freshening up Genji got dressed putting on a casual attire. He was ready to step out the estate again and go about his own business. But he knew he wasn't going to leave that easily. Knowing his brother, he was most likely going to pop up in here any minute to lecture him about things like usual. Best to get out of here before that.

Genji may not have been a fan of the Shimada name most of the time, but there were moments where he was glad he was raised in such a household. Growing up, he and Hanzo were obligated to learn the ninja arts as it was part of their heritage. Though it was pushed more onto Hanzo because he was the oldest, Genji was not too far behind. While he didn't pick up archery like his older brother did, he was more agile and preferred speed over the use of a bow. Getting in and out as quick and quiet as possible was what Genji was best at. While probably not the best use of his skills, they were handy for sneaking in and out of his estate. Being part of the main family branch, having free time for yourself was rare. Which is why Genji made it his point to give himself personal time whenever he had the chance. And with that, he quickly and quietly made his way throughout his large estate making sure not to make his presence known by the servants going about their daily routine. He was just about close to the main garden by the large gate leading out into the streets of Hanamura when…..

"Leaving so soon?" There he was. Hanzo, standing just outside the gates with his arms crossed in his usual conceited demeanor.

"Following me so early in the morning? Father didn't teach you those skills to use on your own brother."

"I don't want to hear that from you. And it is past noon." Felt much earlier than that, Genji thought.

"Well, since you made the effort to catch me, are you going to lecture me again?" At this Hanzo was silent. He did think about that but he knew, at this point, it wouldn't matter if he said anything or not. Genji was still going to do whatever he wanted and Hanzo would only sound like a broken record.

Genji scoffed at the silence and started walking away.

"Do you think father would have liked to see you act this way?"

"Father is dead. Whatever concerns he had with me no longer matters."

"Genji!" His call for him fell on deaf ears as the younger Shimada ran off leaving his older brother frustrated.

"Leaving again." Unaware of his presence, Hanzo turned around to see one of the elders standing behind him in the corridor of the small temple. "And you're going to let him do as he pleases, again."

"I will take care of him."

"And when are you actually going to 'take care of him'? You keep saying that, yet he still chooses to ignore his duty as heir to the Shimada." Hanzo clenched his fists. This was another reason why he hated Genji leaving home. The elders never approved of Genji's lifestyle but now since the former head of the Shimada clan passed on, it was becoming a problem. A big problem. And their father wasn't here anymore to protect him either. There was only so much Hanzo could do to keep their attention away from his younger brother.

"You have my word, I will deal with him. If you'll excuse me…" Hanzo walked passed him and back into his home ignoring the disdainful look the elder gave.

* * *

The day transitioned to night and the streets of Hanamura lit up. More people crowded the streets ready to take on the night life. Genji was no exception as he and a group of his friends went out into town for another night of drinks and more nonsense.

The hours had quickly passed by as Genji went on a spending spree bar hopping from place to place. From shots of sake to downing fireballs, to partying with groups of people to picking up women throwing themselves at him, Genji did everything he could to get away from the real world. But little by little, he found himself slowly becoming bored of the party life. Sure, he'd have himself a good time, but he knew it was only a temporary fix. Come the morning after, be it at his estate or in a woman's bedroom, reality would hit him harder than any alcohol he'd consume the night before. He hated the feeling of waking up each day and being reminded that no matter how hard he tried running away, there was no escape. His attempts were in vain and all he was really doing was giving himself a terrible hangover.

"Yo Genji!"A friend of his called. "I'm heading in the bathroom with Aki for a bit. We'll be back."

"Alright." That's when it dawned on Genji. They weren't just going to the bathroom for what it was supposed to be used for, but for another reason Genji wasn't too fond of. He knew some of the people he hung around with were into more than just drinks. But as long as he wasn't dragged along with them he didn't care.

"Aki! Yo Aki!" The person mentioned earlier was passed out hunched over in his seat around the circular table. "Ah shit I think he's gone." The people around Genji laughed and took out their phones to take pictures, posting them on social media no less. Genji on the other hand felt both sorry and not at the same time. On one hand the guy should have been more responsible, but on the other, Genji couldn't help that he was partly at fault as well. After all he knew most, if not all these bars, clubs and anything that had to do with Japan's night life were tied to his family. The drugs, strippers, almost everything in the red light district...it all leads back to the Shimada name.

This was his que to get another drink. And so, Genji got up and went towards the bar as the club became more packed with all kinds of people losing themselves to the music playing under the neon lights. He needed to get away from this group of people for now. Especially Aki.

He sat on one of the stools in front of the bar ready to order. The bartender was currently busy with another customer but he knew who Genji was and made his drink first despite taking another person's request. The bartender set the glass down on the counter in front of Genji.

"Thank you." Genji downed the first wave of gin before setting it back down. His face squinted as he took in the contents but shook it off. A person had taken a seat beside him but Genji paid no mind. It wasn't until the person spoke that he took interest on who was sitting next to him. The voice sounding soothing and..foreign. A woman who stood out from the rest was sitting next to him. Platinum blonde hair kept up in a high ponytail with a few strands covering the right side of her face. The side he was sitting. It wasn't uncommon to see foreigners visiting Japan. Heck, people from various countries have been mingling and living together all over the world for decades now. But there was something about seeing a foreigner -a woman at that- standing out from the people he would normally see on a daily basis. He'd been to this club a few times now but he had never seen her before.

His inner playboy skills started kicking in and he decided to make conversation with her.

"New to Japan?" He switched to English as it was the most universal language in the world.

"Hm?" She turned her head and Genji was met with deep blue eyes and beauty that nearly took his breath away. "Oh, sorry. I'm just so used to hearing people speak to me in Japanese I had almost forgotten what language you were speaking." She let out a light-hearted laugh. "I've been here for a week now but I've only recently decided to come out tonight."

"Wanted to see if this club had anything to offer?"

"Heh, you could say that." Even as she spoke English, Genji could still hear an accent. And not the accent one would typically hear from an American.

"Mind if I ask your name?" Genji asked before realizing he didn't mention his yet. "Oh sorry. My name is Genji."

"I'm Angela. It's nice to meet you." Angela, he mentally repeated. It was somehow fitting.

"So, Angela, what brings you to Japan?"

"I'm here on vacation. But to be honest, I don't know what to do now that I have free time. I should tour around this place but…" Instead of finishing her sentence she grabbed her drink and took a shot. Genji had done the same. The two had engaged in small talk for a bit until one of his friends stopped by taking interest in the woman Genji was associating with.

"Woah nice pick!" He casually said in front of her in their native language. Genji had hoped she didn't understand him but considering she was here by herself (to his knowledge) she had to have known a bit of Japanese. Otherwise traveling around would have been a little difficult. "Yo you gotta give me details tomorrow man! She's fucking hot! I'm jealous." Genji rubbed his temples together in both frustration and embarrassment. Clearly his friend was too mentally gone to remember proper manners.

"Can you just, go?"

"Ah shit sorry dude. Didn't mean to cramp up your style! See ya!" Genji sighed and hoped she didn't catch any of that. Or at the very least not all of it. He gazed over to her and saw her take another shot.

"This stuff really does hit the spot." She set her glass back on the table. "Well I'm going to go now." She tipped the bartender and grabbed her purse. Genji assumed she understood what his friend was saying and now he felt like a jerk.

"I apologize for his behavior."

"For the record, I didn't understand entirely what he said, but I did get the gist of it." She smiled at him as she got up from her seat. "It didn't bother me so don't worry over it." So she says but Genji was still bothered by the whole thing. "Maybe we'll see each other again soon before my vacation ends. Take care of yourself."

"Wait a minute." Genji stopped her before she turned away. "At least let me take you home. It's pretty late and it can be a bit dangerous here at this time." He offered but Angela declined.  
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be alright. My hotel is nearby. Thank you anyway." She said cheerfully before waving and heading out. As she left, Genji couldn't help but stare at her figure and his mind had started leaning towards his lustful side. But then he sighed as the realization kicked in. He wasn't going to tap that tonight. Admittedly, he did think of maybe hooking up with her tonight but as the two spoke with each other he found just having a simple conversation was enough to get his mind off of everything that's been bothering him. Maybe it was the sound of her soothing voice or her blue eyes that were almost mesmerizing. Whatever it was, he appreciated it and was almost saddened when that small moment of peace left him so soon.

* * *

Angela arrived safely to her hotel room and shut the door behind her. She turned the light on by the door and slid down against it until she was sitting on the floor. Taking out her phone from her purse she noticed the list of missed calls and texts from her friends. They left her voicemails as well but she wasn't going to check those. It would have been too painful to hear them tell her how much they missed her and the like. She refused to read the texts as well and presumed to delete all of them. She had ignored them this whole time and was only going to continue to do so. She didn't hate them, but she was tired of everyone always checking to see if she was okay or needed help with anything. Granted, traveling to another country just to be alone might have been extreme, but she had her reasons for coming here other then wanting to get away from her friends and family.

A sudden pang went to her chest and she brought her knees together wrapping her arms around them. Her eyes became watery and without holding them back she let her tears fall as memories of a man she once knew swarmed her thoughts.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Just a little something I started writing to get back into fic writing since it's been a while. And since Overwatch has invaded my soul why not start with that.**

 **Not much going on in this chapter so I apologize if it's bland. Reviews are always nice so feel free to tell me what you think and such. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the rest of your day!**


	2. 02 - It's Just a Scratch

" _Angela…" She felt his arms wrap around her small waist from behind. Light kisses trailing down her neck as his embrace tightened. A smile formed from ear to ear with a few giggles escaping her lips. She felt so warm and safe. Her heart racing in anticipation for what would come next. Only he could make her feel this way. An abundance of love that no one else could give her. And she did her best to do the same for him. She was happy. They were happy._

So why does it feel so cold?

Her eyes slowly opened and a pillow was the first thing she saw. No one was there other then the empty side of a full size bed she slept in. A bed that was too big and brought emptiness instead of comfort. She moved her hand up towards the empty pillow feeling it's cushion against her palm. It was cold. No one is here. He isn't here… It was just a dream. A dream she wished she never had. Reality was sinking in and the loneliness was making it's way to her heart.

She thought back to her time at the club last night when that man approached her. Genji if she remembered right. She wasn't a fool. She knew what to expect going to such a place especially by herself. He was probably looking to hook up with her. The truth is, she had thought the same before heading out last night. If she had decided to go with him, then maybe she wouldn't feel as lonely and empty as she did now. Sleeping alone, waking up alone…..just being alone was so painful. She hated this feeling and wanted to do anything just to make it disappear. But she was scared. The thought of sleeping with someone that wasn't her former lover seemed terrifying and also made her feel a slight guilt. " _He"_ was her first and only man she'd ever been with. The only one to show her how beautiful and terrifying love can be. And the only one to show her what despair really is.

She had to get up. If she stayed in bed any longer she'd be consumed by memories and the darker side of her thoughts. She wanted to avoid that side of her as much as possible. But it's hard. The meds can only do so much to keep her going. Some fresh air might do some good.

* * *

"Aww why are you leaving now?" A woman sat topless on her bed as she watched Genji get his pants on. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"I have things to do." He grabbed his shirt rushing to get out of here as quick as possible.

"Liar. You never want to stay with me anymore."

"That's not true. I stood with you last night didn't I?" He leaned over the bed taking her lips to his. Hopefully this will be enough for her to let him leave without further complaint. Once that was done, he headed towards the door.

"We should go out sometime. It would be nice to do other things besides the occasional fling or two. And…...I think we'd make a cute couple~."

"Maybe some other time." And he left before the conversation went on.

He'd like to think he wasn't an asshole, but he hated when any hints of forming a more intimate relationship with another was brought up. He wasn't interested. Rather, he didn't think the romance life was for him. Being committed to someone was too much work for him and besides, it's not like his family would accept any girl he brought home anyway. Genji wasn't stupid. He knew the elders especially did not like him for the simple fact that he wasn't a tool like his brother is. Just thinking about how much they controlled Hanzo started pissing him off. But what angered him even more was Hanzo himself letting it happen. Things weren't always like this. But when was it that things gotten so bad?

Genji started walking at a more faster pace and so deep in his thoughts he didn't realize the incoming truck speeding down the street trying to make the light. It wasn't until at the very last moment the sound of the truck honking at Genji finally broke him away from his thoughts and just before the worst happened, he felt someone quickly grab his arm pulling him back away from the street and onto the concrete with a painful thud. The truck had come to a screeching halt as Genji was still in shock from his close meeting with death.

"Are you alright!?" A familiar voice called to him. He looked behind him to see none other than the woman he met last night. Her hands were still tightened around his arm and he felt them tremble. Their eyes had met and it took a moment for her to recognize whose life she had saved.

"Genji?"

"Angela?"

* * *

When things had calmed down, Angela brought Genji to the side and the two sat at a table outside in a nearby cafe so she could check for any injuries. The waiters and waitresses having witnessed the whole thing allowed them to sit at their table with no complaint.

"Really, I'm fine." He stressed again.

"Doesn't hurt to be safe. And it gives me something to do." She saw his hand had scrapes from when he fell. There was a bit of blood with a few cuts. Nothing serious thankfully and lucky for him, she was always prepared for minor injuries like this. Genji saw her look through her purse and took out gauze and some kind of spray.

"Do you normally walk around with first aid stuff?"

"Well, I'll have you know that I'm actually a doctor back home. So to answer your question, yes I do." She smiled as she begun patching him up. The spray had a slight sting to it but it quickly passed. He watched her as she was focused on tending to his injury. Even though it was nothing serious, she was still very careful and very precise when she was wrapping his hand with the gauze. He was tensed at first but as he watched her, he started to feel more relaxed. To see someone he barely knew show so much attention and care to him was something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He had almost forgotten this feeling.

"All done!" She said in a chipper tune. "Now, are you feeling pain anywhere else?"

"I don't think so…" His voice trailed off as he looked at his bandaged hand. "You saved my life and fixed me up."

"It was nothing. I'm just glad I was there in the first place." She started putting away her things. "But I must ask, are you doing okay?" Her question caught him off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"When I saw you earlier you were charging into the street without so much as a second thought."  
"You think I was trying to kill myself or something?"

"...I don't know." She realized what she was asking and immediately felt regret for bringing such a topic up in the first place. "I'm sorry. I was just concerned is all. I didn't mean to offend."

"It's fine. I just….had a lot on my mind is all. I should have paid better attention." There was a moment of silence between them until Angela got up from her seat.

"Well, take care of yourself." She's going to leave, Genji thought. After saving his life he felt obligated to repay her in some way. But he wasn't sure how to get her attention. So Genji blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Let me take you out to dinner." It was just a spur of the moment and he realized this after the fact. But since he had already said it he might as well stick with it. Angela had paused for a moment to register what he asked. It was so sudden and she wasn't sure if she should accept his offer or not.

"...Dinner?"

"Uh...yeah." Now things were getting awkward. Why was he clamming up in the first place? It's like he was teenage boy asking a pretty girl out or something. God, now he feels like an ass. "You know….just forget I mentioned it. I'm so-"

"Okay." She cut him off before he could finish. He was surprised when he heard her accept.  
"Really?"  
"Yes." She looked at him with a smile.

"O...kay then." That turned out well despite the awkwardness. He watched her take her phone out from her purse.  
"Let's exchange numbers and I'll text you my address."

* * *

After their second encounter, the two parted ways for now and Genji thought it best to head back home for once. He needed a break from the outside world and just wanted to sleep instead. Him and Angela agreed to meet with each other tomorrow night so he had plenty of time to get his energy up before then. Now the only thing left to worry about for now was seeing Hanzo's face.

When Genji made it home he made no effort to hide his presence from the servants. He was too tired for that and could care less if they wanted to gossip about him or not. They were probably already doing that anyway. What he did care about was running into Hanzo. But, unfortunate for him, things weren't going to work out that way. When he made it into the main building heading towards his room, there was Hanzo walking down the hall towards Genji's direction. Heavy tension surrounded them as the two stopped for a moment staring each other briefly before continuing on their way. No words needed to be said as the brothers already knew what the other felt.

Things really are different. There was a time when Genji could talk to his brother about anything. Now, he can barely say a word without getting lectured about his lifestyle choice. Hanzo became more involved with the family and Genji was left with everything outside of it as he didn't want to have anything to do with the Shimada name. And now with father gone, this place has become unbearable, almost foreign to him. He thought he had family here, but now he realized they were all just pretending to care about him. It was only because of his father that they decided to form any kind of relationship with him. Maybe Hanzo feels the same…..

Genji plopped down on his futon and laid on his side trying to block out the negative thoughts of his brother. Despite how things are now, he still had hope Hanzo wasn't like the rest of his so called family. It's the reason why Genji hadn't run away from this place yet.

His thoughts were all over the place. He wanted to try and get some sleep but instead he was keeping himself awake with unpleasant thoughts. His eyes fell on his right hand and stared at the neat wrap covering his injury. Angela had crossed his mind. In the two encounters so far her presence was soothing. Just by talking to her he was able to forget the world around him even if it was for a short while. She saved his life and showed so much care to his well being that he almost forgot how to react to such a gesture.

For once in a long while, he was actually looking forward to tomorrow even if it was only just to see her smile.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry for such a short chapter but I figured I should end it here instead of trying to force it to be much longer. Thanks for the reviews and favs so far and as usual, hope you have a nice day!**


	3. 03 - Firebaaaaaall

Morning had come and another day begun. Genji had slept for most of the previous day and continued to do so into the morning. He had no reason to get up so he didn't think much of it. He probably would have slept all throughout today until it was time for him to get ready to meet up with Angela if his phone hadn't gone off non-stop. The first few times it rang Genji ignored it being too tired to deal with it. He should have put the damn thing to vibrate or better yet, turned it off. It stopped for a while but then it rang again. He couldn't ignore it any longer so he finally reached for it grabbing the device from the floor. It was one of his friends that's been blowing up his phone all this time. Curious over why this guy was calling his phone repeatedly all morning, Genji finally gave in and answered the call.

"Yeah…"

"Oh fuck, Genji!" His voice was shaken up. "Answer the fucking phone!"  
"I answered it didn't I? What the hell-"

"Dude it's Aki! Fucking christ, he…..god fucking dammit!" His voice was choking up and Genji was sure he could hear him sobbing on the other end.

"Tetsu?"  
"He's not breathing! He...Oh fuck! I-I don't know what to do! I don't fucking know what to do!" Genji's mind went blank for a moment hearing his friend's words gradually becoming more incoherent.

"Did...you call the ambulance?" Genji struggled to say.

"They're on their way but fucking fuck! He's not fucking breathing man! Dude, I think...he's….he's…"

* * *

A few years ago, tragedy befell mankind. Conflict broke out between humans and omnics and with it came the start of a war that would last for ten years.

Six months ago a treaty was made and a decade's worth of hate and bloodshed ended in one day. Well, at least the war that is. There was still hate and mistrust between mankind and their metallic counterpart. It was going to take some time for equality to truly kick in. Even more so when family and loved ones were taken by the war. The world was recovering from the years of damage done. Wounds that would heal over time, and some that never will. The transitioning to peace was going to be a long process and it was during this time that business in the underground world started to pick up.

While there were psychiatrists and meds to try and help people move on from the loss they've suffered, not everyone had the money to afford such things. And sometimes people wanted more than what the doctor prescribed to get by. What better way to get such things then to look at your local rundown neighborhood, or the red light district at your nearest city. Japan was no exception to this either as it is home to one of the world's largest criminal empires, the Shimada clan.

Women, money, drugs, everything was right here and it wasn't going away anytime soon. And that was good news to some people. People like Aki.

Aki had fought in the war against the omnics. Once he reached eighteen, he enlisted into the military and witnessed first hand the horrors of war. And six months ago when the war had ended he came back home a different man. He was younger than Genji by a couple years, twenty-three years old, and yet he looked much older than he should have. He may have hung around his friends most of the time but Genji hardly knew him anymore. What was once a friendly young boy was now a hardened war veteran who, without a doubt, seen things that the average man had not. He was never into drugs before but now, he was forever drowning himself in them. Genji tried to ignore it the first few times but it became prominent that Aki could not get through the day without them. At least that's what Genji experienced whenever he was around him. He'd mix his medications with alcohol and line up cocaine at tables snorting them one by one. As time went on, Genji liked his company less and less. Seeing his friend do this to himself was unbearable to watch. Even more heartbreaking to know that this was once a friend he'd skip classes with to go mess around in arcades or other dumb things teenagers do.

What did he see in the battlefield? What did he lose to make him this way? Were the people he came back to not enough to take the pain away? Was there anything….anything different that could have been done to save him?

Genji couldn't stop asking himself these questions. Since this morning's call, his head was a complete mess. He had paced around in his room wondering if he should be with his friends or not, but he couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. He felt responsible for Aki's predicament. He may not have been the one to force his friend to down all those drugs, but being part of a family that has a huge hand in it all is enough for him to feel guilt. He couldn't even finish listening to his friend Tetsu say the rest of his sentence before hanging up on him. He didn't want to hear what he already knew deep down. He just couldn't.

He freshened up hoping a nice shower would ease his mind. To his dismay it didn't but at least it did it's job. Once he got his clothes on he left his room in a hurry but was stopped by one of his servants on the way.

"Young master, the elders have requested an audience with you. Master Hanzo has already been summoned." The last thing Genji wanted to deal with were a bunch of old people making indirect comments about him even though he was in the same room as them. Why even make him go to these meetings if they weren't even going to acknowledge his presence? Genji wasn't interested in the first place and they only needed Hanzo there. Only reason why Genji is brought up was out of courtesy to the main family branch.

"I'm busy."

"But, young master-"

"I said I'm busy." He wasn't going to hear any of it and so he stormed out of the estate leaving the servant worried once she told the elders the news.

* * *

A date…. It's been so long since Angela had one. She wasn't entirely sure why she agreed to go with him but it wasn't as if she had any other plans other than sleep. Still, because it's been so long she thought she might be out of touch when it came to this sort of thing. Then again, all Genji asked was to take her out to dinner. It was just him showing gratitude for saving him. She was probably thinking too much on it.

…...No, this was definitely a date.

She sighed as she laid in her bed alone with her thoughts. She had been up for a while but she didn't feel the need to get up quite yet. But she probably should since it was already past noon and she had no idea what she was going to wear tonight. Maybe she should just call the whole thing off. But that would be a little mean of her wouldn't it? Genji seemed okay….

' _Get up…'_ She told herself, yet her body struggled to listen. She came out here for a reason and it wasn't to sleep in a hotel room all day.

" _Let's get some breakfast. I know a place nearby…"_

Angela grabbed her pillow and pulled it over her head. It was happening again. Memories coming back to haunt her. The voices of him more vivid this time.

" _Angela….."_

She finally got up and went through the small end table by the bed grabbing her bottle of meds and opening them. She was running low with only 5 pills left. She ended up taking more than she was supposed to. She's a freakin' doctor. She should have had better control over her intake, but she must have stopped caring at some point. The memories and the negative thoughts were constantly lingering around waiting for her to give in. It was tempting sometimes…..

What was she going to do?

Screw it. She went for her phone and scrolled through her contacts. Genji's name came into view. It might be a bit early but she needed to get out of this room ASAP. Hopefully he won't think she was desperate or anything...

* * *

His phone rang once again and at this point Genji was annoyed. As he was about to turn his phone off thinking it was one of his friends calling him yet again, he was surprised to see it was Angela. He looked at the time and saw it was still a little early. Though the day was almost done and evening was around the corner. Still, he didn't expect her to call him so soon. Or at all. Or maybe...she wanted to cancel tonight's meetup.

In any case, he answered his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello Genji." Her voice always cheerful and pleasant to the ears. "Are you busy right now?"

"No, not at the moment."

"Want to start things up earlier than we planned?" He was a little surprised hearing her question. But, he was also glad she asked. Anything to get his mind off of his current dilemma.

"Sure."

* * *

The night was still young but Genji and Angela were already having a good time. Thankfully, since they've already been acquainted before it wasn't too long to break through the initial awkwardness upon meeting each other in front of her hotel. They had warmed up to each other fairly easily and the company was much appreciated for both of them. At Angela's request, instead of going to a fancy restaurant like he had originally planned they ended up going to a bar and had appetizers along with drinks. He didn't complain though. In fact, he welcomed the simplicity and the alcohol was much needed. Angela seemed to be enjoying herself as well. Actually, she might be enjoying herself too much.

"More sake please!" She called the waitress with her small glass raised up. Genji couldn't help a chuckle as he watched her.

"Nice to see your enjoying yourself."

"Heck yes I am!" Another bottle of sake came and Angela quickly grabbed the bottle pouring herself and Genji another round. "Let's take a shot together!"

"Again?"

"Of course!" She was aggressive about it but he didn't mind. The pair grabbed their glass and on Angela's count, they drank it down. "That's the stuff!"

"Might want to slow down a bit though."

"Pfffft. Are you saying I'm a light weight good sir?" She stared him down.

"Not at all. Just worried is all."

"Worried already? You're too kind." Genji smiled before taking another shot. He might want to take it slow with the drinks himself since he was feeling it pretty fast. But he was actually having a good time. She was different from the people he normally hung around with and he liked it. She knew nothing about his family or the messed up shit with his friends, and she wasn't hanging around his arm trying to seduce him or pretending they weren't interested in his family name. "Only him as a person", or whatever it is they would say. Truthfully, he wouldn't say no if she was interested in sleeping with him, but he wanted to have a little bit of self control. And getting wasted on their first date, he knew one thing could lead to another. His friends always told him he could charm the panties off a nun drunk or sober, and...well they weren't wrong. Still, he wanted some self control and didn't want to treat her like one of his flings.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he grabbed it taking a look at his caller. To no surprise it was one of his friends again. And like the rest of the calls he received today, he declined this one and put his phone back into his pocket.

"Awww what's with the long face?" Being curious (and maybe a little drunk), Angela peaked over the table to see what he was staring at. Genji had a clear view of her cleavage and averted his gaze elsewhere. Though he would be lying if he said he didn't have some difficulty pulling away from them.

"Just people who can't take a hint."

"Ah, I know that feeling all too well. But I know just the thing to take your mind off that."

"Oh?"

"It's called…...a firebaaaaaaallllllll~!"

"Oh boy….."

* * *

By the time Genji and Angela left the bar it was close to two in the morning. The pair left laughing and barely able to walk in a straight line. At least more so for Angela. Despite Genji wanting to keep his head somewhat clear, he failed horribly once Angela ordered fireballs and challenged him to a drinking race. But as the cool air touched his face he started sobering up a little and was able to get himself -somewhat- together. At least enough to take her back. Angela on the other hand needed a bit of help walking to the hotel. She held onto his arm for support and hoped she didn't have to puke. The fresh air should do her some good.

"I think I may have gone a little too hard on the drinks…."

"I did say to slow down a bit…."

"Oh no….I think I'm…..mph!"

"W-wait!" Genji's whole body paused thinking she was going to puke all over him.

"...Just kidding!"

"..." Angela laughed watching his face. But then nearly tripped over herself on the sidewalk. Thankfully she was already holding onto Genji so she didn't fall, but the sudden movement felt like the world was spinning and she started feeling the alcohol take it's toll on her.

"Ahhh…."

"...You okay?"

"...!" And with that she pulled away from his arm and hunched over by a nearby building and started emptying her guts out.

"..."

Angela had a hard time trying to make it on her own and Genji decided to catch a cab. He probably should have done that from the start but he was trying to sober up at the time and wasn't thinking about it. Thankfully it didn't take too long for one to arrive and the pair went inside before the driver took off. It was a quiet ride and Angela was nodding on and off against the window.

"We should be almost there."

"Oh….thank goodness….." She was dozing off again but fought to stay awake. "…I'm sorry...about this…"

"No worries."

"I'm really sorry…"

"You really don't need to be." He tried to assure her.

Eventually the pair made it back to the hotel. Genji helped her get out of the car and made it to the front of the hotel where Angela insisted she could make the rest of the way to her room on her own. Her barely able to stand didn't convince Genji, but he didn't want to sound pushy about escorting her back to her room. It probably would come as something else and he didn't want to seem like he was that kind of guy.

"You sure you'll be okay from here on your own?" He asked concerned.

"Pfft….I'm sure I can make it to my room. I just have to take….the elevator." She gave a weak smile. He knew she wasn't feeling too well but he felt a hint of sadness from her which surprised him. He was so used to her always being so kind and cheerful. It could just be the alcohol. Still…

"Are you…."

"Hm?" She looked at him confused for a moment before brushing it off. "Anyway, thank you for a great time. It's been too long since I enjoyed myself like that."

"...Yeah." He was probably thinking too much on it. "I had a good time as well. Maybe….we can get together again before you leave the country?"

"Of course. I would love to do this again. I promise I won't go heavy on the drinks next time!" She gave a smile as the two said their goodbye's for now before she went back up to her room. It wasn't until she reached the front of her door that she started to feel the loneliness and dread kick in. A voice that should no longer exist in this world started whispering all around her. She tried to block them out and went straight to her bed in hopes they would disappear as she fell to sleep.

" _Angela….I love you….."_


End file.
